Jim Wacker facts for kids
Wacker, c. 1977
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 29, 1937 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 26, 2003 (aged 66) San Marcos, Texas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1957–1959 | Valparaiso |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1960–1963 | Concordia HS (OR) (assistant) |
| 1964–1969 | Concordia (NE) (assistant) |
| 1970 | Augustana (SD) (assistant) |
| 1971–1975 | Texas Lutheran |
| 1976–1978 | North Dakota State |
| 1979–1982 | Southwest Texas State |
| 1983–1991 | TCU |
| 1992–1996 | Minnesota |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1998–2001 | Southwest Texas State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 159–131–3 |
| Bowls | 0–1 |
| Tournaments | 4–0 (NAIA D-II playoffs) 8–2 (NCAA D-II playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 NAIA Division II (1974–1975) 2 NCAA Division II (1981–1982) 2 NCC (1976–1977) 3 LSC (1980–1982) |
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| Awards | |
| AFCA College Division Coach of the Year (1982) Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award (1984) Sporting News College Football COY (1984) 2× LSC Coach of the Year (1980, 1982) |
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James Herbert Wacker (born April 28, 1937 – died August 26, 2003) was a famous American football coach and sports leader at colleges. He was the head football coach for several teams, including Texas Lutheran University (1971–1975), North Dakota State University (1976–1978), and Texas State University (1979–1982). He also coached at Texas Christian University (1983–1991) and the University of Minnesota (1992–1996). Coach Wacker had a great career, winning 159 games, losing 131, and tying 3. He led his teams to win two national championships in NAIA Division II and two more in NCAA Division II.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Jim Wacker grew up in Detroit, Michigan. His father was a Lutheran minister. Jim went to Valparaiso University and finished in 1960. He also studied more at Wayne State University.
Coaching Football Teams
Jim Wacker started his coaching journey at different universities. He coached at Texas Lutheran University from 1971 to 1975. Then he moved to North Dakota State University from 1976 to 1978. After that, he coached at Southwest Texas State University from 1979 to 1982. During these early years, he helped his teams win four national championships. Two were with Texas Lutheran and two with Southwest Texas State.
Coaching at TCU
After the 1982 season, Coach Wacker became the head football coach for Texas Christian University (TCU). He quickly made the team much better. In 1984, his TCU team was ranked as high as #12 in the country. This was their highest ranking in many years. They also got to play in the Bluebonnet Bowl, which was their first bowl game in 20 years.
That year, TCU finished with 8 wins and 3 losses in the regular season. Coach Wacker was named National Coach of the Year by several sports groups. He also received the 1984 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.
Challenges at TCU
In 1985, there was a lot of excitement for the TCU team. However, Coach Wacker found out that some players were getting money they shouldn't have, which was against the rules of the NCAA. He quickly removed these players from the team. He also told the NCAA about the problem himself. This showed everyone that he was a very honest person. Even though this made the team weaker, he did what was right.
Because of these rule breaks, the NCAA put TCU on probation for three years in 1986. This meant they couldn't play in postseason games that year. They also couldn't offer as many scholarships to new players in 1987 and 1988. Many fans felt this was a very strict punishment, especially since Coach Wacker reported the issues himself. However, the NCAA praised him for taking quick action.
Bringing TCU Back
Despite the challenges, Coach Wacker worked hard to rebuild the team. In 1990, TCU was ranked in the top 25 again. In 1991, the team had a winning season with 7 wins and 4 losses. This was their first winning season since 1984.
Coaching at Minnesota
From 1992 to 1996, Jim Wacker coached the University of Minnesota football team. Even though his team didn't win many games (16 wins and 39 losses), his players did very well in school. For three years, his teams had the most academic honors in their conference. This showed he cared about his players' education.
Later Life and Legacy
After coaching, Jim Wacker worked as a sports announcer for CBS Radio. In 1998, he went back to Southwest Texas State University. He became the athletic director there until 2001.
Jim Wacker passed away on August 26, 2003, in San Marcos, Texas, after a long fight with cancer. In November 2003, Southwest Texas State honored him by naming their football field at Bobcat Stadium "Jim Wacker Field." This was a special way to remember his important contributions to the university.
